Device for transferring liquid metal



5 1967- KARL-HEINZ HELLMUND DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUID METAL Filed March 9, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR KcwL- Hemz HeLLmuncl ATTORNEYS W QPJ Pm I Jan. 31, 1967 KARL--HEINZ HELLMUND 3,301,545

, DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUID METAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1964 INVENTOR K 0JL Hemz.HeLlrnund BY IJWIV &

ATTORNEYS Jan. 1967 KARL-HEINZ HELLMUND 3,301,545

DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUID METAL Fi led March 9, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR kaml. He'mz Heumund ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 31, 1967 3,301,545 DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUID METAL Karl-Heinz Hellmund, Dortmund, Germany, assignor to Aktiengesellschaft Brown, Boveri & Cie., Baden, Switzerland, a joint-stock company Filed Mar. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 350,363 4 Claims. (Cl. 266-38) This invention relates to an improved arrangement in a device for transferring molten metal and more particularly to a device by which molten metal is transferred from one furnace to another for further treatment.

In foundry technique it is known to pass iron, which has been melted in a cupola furnace, by way of a channel to a second furnace where it is subjected to a refining or alloying process. Generally a channel is used which, when the furnace cover has been removed, allows the liquid metal to flow into the second furnace. Difficulties occur, however, if the first furnace has to be discharged just when the second furnace has been tilted into the position for pouring the metal. Moreover, heat losses occur as a result of the partly open furnace.

Arrangements are already known whereby the liquid metal passes into the furnace through the axle about which the furnace tilts or swivels, the axle in this case being in the form of a hollow shaft. The central location of such a pipe directly at the tilting axle results in an expensive and complicated construction. Such a construction cannot be used when the tilting axle of the furnace has to be located comparatively low down, because then the liquid metal cannot be fed into the furnace above the surface of the liquid.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which independently of the tilting position of the furnace allows liquid metal to be supplied continuously to the furnace without appreciable heat losses.

The invention thus relates to a device for passing liquid metal from a stationary furnace into a second furnace which is at a lower lever and can be tilted, particularly an induction furnace. In accordance with the invention a pipe consisting of heat-resistant material and serving as the inlet for the liquid metal is arranged laterally on the tiltable furnace above its tilting axle, the horizontal part of the pipe extending into the furnace and the vertically bent part being directed upwards and having a funnelshaped extension tangential to the furnace.

It is expedient that the funnel-shaped extension of the pipe serving as the inlet for the metal should not be coupled with the tilting axle, because otherwise the funnel would have a very wideopening angle and when the furnace is tilted to a great extent the metal would no longer be able to flow through the pipe into the furnace. A kinematic device is therefore provided by means of which the funnel-shaped extension of the pipe can only be rotated to such an extent that it always remains underneath the outlet of the pipe. This is achieved by guiding the funnel-shaped extension in a slotted link whereby the lower part of the funnel is caused to move along an arcuate path by means of a lever connected to the tilting axle of the furnace.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a vertical section through the tilting axle of the lower furnace.

FIGURES 2 to show the furnace in elevation as seen from the side where the supply device is located; each figure shows the lower furnace in a different position. In FIGURE 2 the furnace is in the smelting position, in FIGURE 3 in the pouring position (tilted 60), in FIG- URE 4 tilted 90, and in FIGURE 5 in the slag removing position (tilted backwards).

In FIGURE 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the lower tiltable furnace, 2 being the axle about which it can be tilted. Laterally above the tilting axle 2 a circular opening 3 is provided. A pipe 4 with a right-angle bend 1S fitted into this opening. It is made from a heat-resistant material, for instance a ceramic material. The part 5 of the pipe which is bent upwards has a funnel-shaped extension in the tangential direction. The pipe 4 is mounted rotatably in the bearing 11 of an arm 6 which is rigidly connected to the tilting axle 2. As is evident from FIG. 1, the pivotal connection at 11 for the upper end of arm 6 is coincident with an extension of the axis of the horizontal part 4 of the transfer pipe. A triangular piece of sheet metal 12 (FIGURE 2) is fixed to the side of the funnel-shaped extension 5, a pin 7 being located in the free end of the triangular piece, this pin being displaceable in the elongated slot 8 of the slotted link system 9.

When the lower furnace is being filled from the upper furnace, not illustrated, the liquid metal flows from the groove 10 from a pouring outlet from the upper furnace through the funnel-shaped extension 5 of pipe 4 and the pipe itself into the furnace 1 when the latter is in the smelting position as shown in FIGURE 2. Arm 6 connected to the tilting axis 2 and the funnel-shaped part 5 of pipe 4 with the furnace in this position, are inclined to the right with respect to the vertical axis of the furnace. In this position of the funnel-shaped extension 5 of pipe 4, the liquid metal can easily be poured into the furnace.

In FIGURE 3 the lower furnace is in the pouring position, that is inclined 60 to the vertical axis towards the left. It must also be mentioned that the furnace is provided with a so-called syphon, which does not form part of the invention but insures that the metal which flows into the furnace does not immediately flow out again without first of all being able to mix with the melt in the furnace. The desired alloying process thus also continues when the metal is being poured out of the furnace. Coming from the smelting position of the furnace (FIGURE 2), the bearing 11 of arm 6 and thus also the lowest point of the funnel-shaped extension 5 of pipe 4 has moved along an arcuate path concentric with the tilt axis for the furnace established by axle 2 in order to reach the tilted position shown in FIGURE 3. Due to the manner in which the bolt 7 is guided by the longitudinal slot 8, the funnel-shaped part 5 of pipe 4 does not follow an arcuate path about the tilting axle 2 but about the centre of rotation of bearing 11 which in turn moves along an arcuate path about the axis 2. The funnel-shaped part 5 of pipe 4 is displaced only laterally, whereby its angular position only changes very slightly with respect to the vertical axis of the furnace. Thus also when the furnace is tilted as shown in FIGURE 3, the supply of liquid metal from the channel 10 to the funnel-shaped extension 5 of pipe 4 is assured.

In the position shown in FIGURE 4, the furnace is tilted with respect to the vertical axis. In this extreme position no liquid metal will be supplied to the furnace, but it is important that the residual metal in the channel cannot drop on to the furnace bearing. Also in this position the funnel-shaped extension 5 of pipe 4 is underneath the outlet of the channel 10 and thus can receive any metal drops.

Finally, in the position according to FIGURE 5, the furnace is in the slag-removing position where it is tilted backwards by 30 with respect to the vertical axis. As can be seen in the figure, also in this position liquid metal can flow from the channel 10 into the furnace.

I claim:

1. In a multiple furnace arrangement providing transfer of liquid metal between funaces, the combination comprising a first stationary furnace, a second furnace located at a lower level than said first furnace, axle means supporting said second furnace for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, a transfer pipe made from a heatresistant material for transferring liquid metal from said first furnace to said second furnace, said metal transfer pipe being located above the horizontal tilt axis of said second furnace and including a horizontal metal delivery part extending through an opening in the Wall of said second furnace to the interior thereof and an upwardly turned funnel-shaped liquid metal receiving part underlying the liquid metal discharge point of said upper stationary furnace, means establishing a horizontal pivotal axis for said horizontal part of said transfer pipe located above the tilt axis of said second furnace, and which is movable along an arcuate path concentric with said tilt axis, and means for maintaining said funnel-shaped metal receiving part of said transfer pipe in an essentially upright attitude beneath the metal discharge point of said upper stationary furnace throughout the tilt angle of said lower furnace.

2. A multiple furnace arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said funnel-shaped metal receiving part in an essentially upright attitude throughout the tilt angle of said lower furnace is constituted by a pin secured to an extension of said funnelshaped metal receiving part and which is slidably received in a stationary guide slot.

3. A multiple furnace arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said means establishing a horizontal pivot axis for said horizontal part of said transfer pipe located above the tilt axis of said second furnace is constituted by an arm rigidly connected at one end with the supporting axle for said second furnace, the other end of said arm being pivotally connected to said funnel-shaped part of said transfer pipe at a point coincident with an extension of the axis of said horizontal part of said transfer pipe.

4. A multiple furnace arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said means establishing a horizontal pivot axis for said horizontal part of said transfer pipe located above the tilt axis of said second furnace is constituted by an arm rigidly connected at one end with the supporting axle for said second furnace, the other end of said arm being pivotally connected to said funnel-shaped part of said transfer pipe at a point coincident with an extension of the axis of said horizontal part of said transfer pipe and wherein said means maintaining said funnel-shaped part of said transfer pipe in an essentially upright attitude throughout the tilt angle of said lower furnace is constituted by a pin secured to an extension of said funnelshaped part and which is slidably received in a stationary guide slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,608 12/1924 Atkins 266-38 JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

I. M. ROMANCHIK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A MULTIPLE FURNACE ARRANGEMENT PROVIDING TRANSFER OF LIQUID METAL BETWEEN FURNACES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FIRST STATIONARY FURNACE, A SECOND FURNACE LOCATED AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN SAID FIRST FURNACE, AXLE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SECOND FURNACE FOR TILTING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A TRANSFER PIPE MADE FROM A HEATRESISTANT MATERIAL FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUID METAL FROM SAID FIRST FURNACE TO SAID SECOND FURNACE, SAID METAL TRANSFER PIPE BEING LOCATED ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL TILT AXIS OF SAID SECOND FURNACE AND INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL METAL DELIVERY PART EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE WALL OF SAID SECOND FURNACE TO THE INTERIOR THEEOF AND AN UPWARDLY TURNED FUNNEL-SHAPED LIQUID METAL RECEIVING PART UNDERLYING THE LIQUID METAL DISCHARGE POINT OF SAID UPPER STATIONARY FURNACE, MEANS ESTABLISHING A HORIZONTAL PIVOTAL AXIS FOR SAID HORIZONTAL PART OF SAID TRANSFER PIPE LOCATED ABOVE THE TILT AXIS OF SAID SECOND FURNACE, AND WHICH IS MOVABLE ALONG AN ARCUATE PATH CONCENTRIC WITH SAID TILT AXIS, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID FUNNEL-SHAPED METAL RECEIVING PART OF SAID TRANSFER PIPE IN AN ESSENTIALLY UPRIGHT ATTITUDE BENEATH THE METAL DISCHARGE POINT OF SAID UPPER STATIONARY FURNACE THROUGHOUT THE TILT ANGLE OF SAID LOWER FURNACE. 